2014 NBA Playoffs: Oklahoma City Thunder's wild ride
Not Even Close
It doesn't happen often, but sometimes, a pregame storyline plays out exactly as expected.
Heading into Games 1 and 2 in San Antonio, the Thunder were not only without their paint protector, but were also trying to cope with the fact that, after losing Russell Westbrook last year, a second straight postseason could be derailed by an injury. Both mentally and physically, the Thunder had been dealt a severe body blow before the series even started.
It didn't go as we expected it to. It was worse.
The Spurs poured in 66 points in the paint on the Thunder in Game 1, exposing the obvious weakness in the center of OKC's defensive scheme. It was a run to the rim for the Spurs, and the Thunder had no answer.
Game 2 was death by 3-pointer, as the Spurs took advantage of the Thunder overcompensating to fill the void of Ibaka and leaving perimeter shots available. The Spurs won the first two games by a combined 52 points, scoring 51 percent of their points in the painted area and shooting 76.8 percent inside the restricted area.
The Thunder were dead. They were cooked. They were done. They'd been in a 2-0 hole to the Spurs before, but that was two years ago with James Harden and Ibaka. And as Scott Brooks said, they weren't walking through that door.
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